2025 ICD-10-CM code A37.00
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Infectious and parasitic diseases - Other bacterial diseases Certain infectious and parasitic diseases Feed
Whooping cough due to Bordetella pertussis without pneumonia.
Medical necessity for the diagnosis and treatment of whooping cough is established by the presence of characteristic signs and symptoms, confirmed by laboratory testing for Bordetella pertussis.Public health reporting is required due to the contagious nature of pertussis.
A patient with whooping cough due to B. pertussis may experience cough, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, sneezing, nasal discharge, fever, and apnea (temporary pauses in breathing). Later symptoms, appearing 1-2 weeks after the initial onset, can include intense coughing bouts followed by deep breaths with a "whooping" sound, vomiting, extreme fatigue, and a general decline in health. Diagnosis is based on symptoms, patient history, physical examination, and laboratory tests of blood and mucus samples to identify the bacteria, such as nasopharyngeal culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Treatment involves antibiotics, and severe cases may require hospitalization for respiratory monitoring and oxygen therapy. Pertussis vaccination is crucial for prevention.
In simple words: Whooping cough is a contagious disease that makes you cough a lot. This code is used when the cough is caused by a specific bacteria called B. pertussis and you don't have a lung infection called pneumonia.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly infectious bacterial respiratory disease most commonly caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is typically spread through person-to-person contact or airborne droplets from an infected person's coughs or sneezes. The disease is characterized by "whooping" sounds during inhalation after coughing fits. While it mainly affects infants and young children, it can occur at any age. This code is specifically for cases of whooping cough caused by B. pertussis without pneumonia (lung infection).
Example 1: A 6-month-old infant presents with paroxysmal coughing, followed by a whooping sound on inspiration. The infant has not received the pertussis vaccine.A nasopharyngeal swab confirms Bordetella pertussis infection, and the infant is diagnosed with whooping cough without pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics., A 15-year-old adolescent with waning pertussis immunity develops a persistent cough with occasional whooping sounds. After testing positive for Bordetella pertussis, they are diagnosed with whooping cough without pneumonia and treated with antibiotics. Supportive care is provided at home., A 30-year-old adult, unvaccinated for pertussis, presents with severe coughing spells, post-tussive vomiting, and exhaustion. Although a whooping sound is not prominent, laboratory tests confirm Bordetella pertussis infection, leading to a diagnosis of whooping cough without pneumonia. The adult receives antibiotic treatment and supportive care.
Documentation should include symptoms (cough, whooping sound, difficulty breathing, etc.), duration of illness, vaccination history, physical exam findings, and laboratory results confirming Bordetella pertussis infection. The absence of pneumonia should be explicitly documented based on clinical findings and/or chest x-ray if performed.
- Specialties:Infectious Disease, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pulmonology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Office, Outpatient Hospital, Home,Telehealth Provided in Patient’s Home